a comparison between chinese and english taboos英语专业Word格式.docx
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a comparison between chinese and english taboos英语专业Word格式.docx
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28Dec2010
Abstract:
TabooreflectseverycornerofthedifferentsociallifebothinChineseandEnglishculture,sothedifferencesbetweentheChineseandEnglishtabooscanbeofgreathelpforcross-culturalcommunication.Byanalyzingsomeimportantpartsofthetaboos,wewillhavesomegeneralpointofviewonit.
Keywords:
taboo,differences,comparison,cross-culturalcommunication
Contents
.Introduction…………………………………………………………………......1
.content:
acomparisonbetweenChineseandEnglishtaboos………………….1
A.Colortaboo…………………………………………..................................1
1.Red…………………………….………………………………………1
2.White………………………..…………………………………………2
3.Black..………………………………………………………………….2
B.Numbertaboo………………………….………………………………….3
1.NumberfourinChina………………………………………………....3
2.NumberthirteeninEnglish……………………………………...….3
3.Friday……………………………………………………………...….3
4.Oddnumberandevennumber……………………………………..3
C.Religion…………………………………………………………………..4
.Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..5
WorksCited…………………………………………………………………..6
.Introduction
Languageisaculturalcarrierasapartofculture.TabooisacommonlanguagebothinChineseandEnglishculture.Itisveryusefultobeawareofthecross-culturalcommunicationandlearningofEnglishculture.Taboo,asaspeciallanguage,seemsveryimportantwhetherinrealityorincommunication.Duetodifferenthistoricalandculturalbackgrounds,therangesoftabooarenotthesame.Therewillbedifferentwaysofthesameobject.Usually,languageisusedasamirrortoreflectthenationalculturebypeople.UnderstandingthedifferencesbetweenChineseandEnglishtabooswillappropriatelyhelpcross-culturalcommunication.
.AcomparisonbetweenChineseandEnglishtaboos
Astheoldsayinggoes,troublescomeoutofthetongue.Superstitiouspeoplethinkthatthelanguageitselfcanbringaboutfortuneormisfortunesothattaboostorestricttheuseoflanguagearecreated.Anyonewhoviolatesthemwillgetpunishment,whereasthosewhofaithfullyobeytherestrictionsoflanguagetaboowillgetprotection.Furthermore,tabooschangewiththedevelopmentofsocietyandexistinalmosteveryaspectofpeople’slife.ItisauniversalsocialphenomenoninChinaandBritain.BothChineseandEnglishculturesareinagreementabouttaboossuchascolortaboo,numbertabooandsoon.However,influencedbydifferentculturalbackgrounds,ideologiesandtheconceptsofvalue,ChineseandEnglishtaboosalsohavedifferences,asisdiscussedinthepaperfromtheaspectsoftabooprofanities,taboonumbersandcolors.HavingagoodknowledgeofthetabooculturewouldhelpEnglishlearnersimprovetheirabilityofcross-culturalcommunicationandachievebettercommunicationaleffects.
A.Colortaboo
1.Red
InbothChineseandEnglishculture,redisusuallyassociatedwithhappyoccasions.Oncalendar,wecanfindthatholidayssuchasSpringFestival,ChristmasDayareprintedinred,whichiscalled“redletterdays”,whileordinarydaysareinblack.Beside,“topaintthetownred”istocelebratewidely.Anotherexampleis“torollouttheredcarpetforsomeone”meanstogiveahospitableandformalreception.
InEnglishculture,peopleusuallyconnectredwithblood.Bloodisregardedtobethesourceoflife.Lifewilldiewhenthebloodhasrunoff.Sotheythinkredalsoreferstoforce,deathandwar.Suchas“redruin”and“redbattle”.ButinChineseculture,redreferstorevolutionsandprogressiveforces.Forexample,theprimaryrevolutionaryregimenamedredregime.ItalsostandsforgoodluckinChina,suchas:
红运,开门红,披红挂彩…So,althoughtherearesomesimilarmeaningsofred,butinchina,redhasnoderogatorysense.
2.White
InEnglish,whiteusuallyusedtodescribepureandhonestpeopleorthings,suchasfriendship,loveandpersonality.LikeredinChineseculture,whiteisthejoyousandpositivecolorinEngland.Whitemenmeansgentlemen,whitesoulmeanspuresoul,whitemarketmeanslawfulmarket;
whiteroommeansthemostcleaningroom…
ButinChineseculture,besidesgoodsides,whitealsoconstantsderogatorysense,itisconnectedwithdeath.Infuneral,allofpeoplewearwhiteclothesinordertoexpresstheirsadness,Mosttimes,whiteisopposedtoredinChineseculture.Chinese,especiallytheolderdislikeit,evenafraidofitwhileitstandsforillomen,andcounteraction.Inthewar,theloserraisesawhiteflagtoshowcapitulation.Sometimes,italsoreferstoworkfruitlessly,worthlesslybothinChineseandEnglishculture,suchas“白费劲”“白痴”“白搭”and“whiteelephant”.
3.Black
InChineseculture,thecolorofblackhastwosides:
onestandsforsolemnity,prestige;
theotherstandsforfear,reactionaryforcesandillegality.Becauseinthenight,peoplewillfeeldepressedandfearful,andwanttofindsomethingforhelp.
InEnglishculture,blackisataboocolor,itreferstodeathandillomen,peoplewearblackclothesduetothecustom,andusuallybeusedinfuneralrites,everyonewhojoininfuneral,wearblackclothestoexpresstheirsadnessandheavymood.Forexample:
“wearblackforone’sfather”.Blackletterdayisoppositetoredletterday,blackmanmeansdemon.WhileinChineseculture,people’smourningapparelisalwayswhite.AsinChinesecustom,whiteisoftenconnectedwithfuneralarrangements.
B.Numbertaboo
1.NumberfourinChina
InChina,thenumber“4”andtheword“死(death)”almostsoundthesame.Peopledonotlikethenumber“4”,becauseitremindsthemof“death”.Peoplewon’tliketelephonenumberorcar’slicensetobewithno.4.Amongoldpeople,theythink“73”and“84”aretwokeyages.Ifyouare73or84yearsold,youwilldiebeforetheKingofhellinvitesyou.Somanyoldpeopleavoidtalkingtheirexactages.
2.NumberthirteeninEnglish
Whileinwesterncountries,oneofthemostinfluentialtaboonumbersis13.Accordingtothestoryof“Thelastsupper”:
Judas,thepersonwhobetrayedJesus,satintheNo.13chair,therefore,Numberthirteenisuniversallyconsideredtobeunlucky.ThistabooexistalmostalltheChristianitycountries.Nodoor’snumberisthirteen;
nohotelhastheNo.13Room;
theydon’tallow13peoplehavedinnertogether.Peoplegenerallydon’tgototravelandbetrothalonthe13th.Allinaword;
theyavoidnumberthirteenineveryaspect.Ordinarypeoplefeelupseton13thineverymonth.Therefore,thirteenbecameataboowordinwesterncountries.Therefore,wemustalllearntorespectWesterntabooinordertonotinvolveinthematterofthecommunication.
3.Friday
AnothernumberconcerningtabooinwesternisFriday.Italsohaslongbeenconsideredasanunluckyday.“ThistabootermaffectspeopleprobablynotonlybecausetheybelievethatJesusChristwasputtodeathonthecrossonFriday,butalsobecauseFridayisformanyyearsthedayofexecutionofcriminals,commonlycalled“hangman’sday”.
4.Oddnumberandevennumber
AnotherstrikingcontrastisthatChinesepeoplelikeevennumbers.Forexample,theysay“好事成双”,“成双成对”。
Chinesepeopleespeciallyliketheevennumber“6”and“8”.Thesaying“六六大顺”canproveit.Butinwesterncountries,theylikeoddnumbers.“TheRomanpoetVirgilsays,‘Thegoddelightsinanoddnumber’.InShakespeare’splayMerrywivesofWindsor,Falstaffsays,‘Goodluckliesinoddnumbers—’Theysay,‘thereisdivinityinoddnumbers,eitherinnativity,chanceordeath.’”
C.Religion
Religionisafertilefieldtabooterms.AsImentionedabove,ToEnglish,inreligion,blackmeansgriefanddeath.BlackFriday,hereFridayreferstotheFridaybeforeEasterday,Jesuswassufferingatthatday.Basedonthenation’sculture,backgroundandtraditionalcustom,peopleinEnglish-SpeakingcountriesuseblackFridaytosymbolizethedisaster.AnothertypicalexampleisthatChristiancannotrefertoGodorGod’sname.“TheTenCommandmentsforbidpeopleto‘takethenameoftheLordyourGodinvain’.Soitisconsideredveryrudetosay‘goddame’or‘goddamned’”.Thewordssuchas“God,”“Jesus,”“damn”and“hell”etc,areconsideredhollyandonlyproperlyusedinreligion.Iftheyappearindailycommunication,theywillmakepeopleunpleasantanddisgusted.Sopeoplealwaystrytoavoidusingthesetaboowordsdirectly.Theywouldliketousetheireuphemisms“Gosh,”“Jeeperscreepers,”“dash”and“heck”.Somepeoplealsoavoidreferringtothedevil,whichisconsidereddisrespectful.Sotheyuse“thedeuce”,“thedickens”,“oldNick”tosubstitute“thedevil”.WecanfindsimilarexamplesinChinese.Inreligion,peopleusesomecomplimentaryaddresstorefertoawesomegods,e.g.“大帝”,“大圣”,“佛陀(Buddha)”.Anotherexampleisthat,tigerisregardedasthedivineanimalneartheChangbaiMountainsituatedintheNortheastofourcountry.Therefore,therewasthecustomof“tigeristhegod”inancienttimes.Peopleavoidedcallingthe“tiger”directlyandgavethetigeranothername,“山君”or“山佛爷”.
Incertainsocieties,wordswithreligiousconnotationsareconsideredprofaneifusedoutsideofformalorreligiousceremonies.InWesterncountries,someChristiansbelievethatitisdisrespectfulforthemisuseofGodorGod’sname.ChristiansareforbiddentotaketheLord’snameinvainandthisprohibitionhasbeenextendedtotheuseofcurses,whicharebelievedtohavemagicalpowers.
ChineseisundertheinfluenceofConfucianvirtue.TheetiquetteofConfuciusandMenciusandMenciusrequiresappropriatelanguageinsocialactivities,notlieortalknonsense.
Othertaboos:
TherearemanyotheraspectsoftaboosbetweenChineseandEngl
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